Created by Hand: Interview of Henna Design Maker

by Ria Nagpal, St Mark’s School
Meera Bagh, New Delhi, India

Student: May I know your name please?
Artist: My name is Pawan.

Student: How long have you been in this profession?
Artist: I have been doing this since 15 years.

Student: Where is your hometown?
Artist: I belong to the Baliya Zila in Uttar Pradesh.

Student: How did you get into this profession?
Artist: I saw people doing this in the market and it interested me so I ended up doing it.

Student: How did you go about your training?
Artist: First, we learned to make the cones and the mixture and then we started practicing on plates and eventually on hands.

Student: What do you use the oil for?
Artist: The colour comes out to be darker and it gives finesse to the design.

Student: What about your income?
Artist: It depends on seasons. The festive seasons give us a good business but on usual days, we are able to earn 50,000 rupees per month. [About $900 US$]
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